Buyer note: confirm assumptions before quoting
Lead time, MOQ, yield, leak-test scope, machining scope, and landed cost depend on the drawing, alloy, inspection plan, annual volume, and destination market. For current supplier facts, review the supplier capability sheet or send an RFQ package.
# First Article Inspection for Aluminum Castings: RFQ Checklist for CMM, Material Records, Machining Datums, and Buyer Approval
First article inspection (FAI) is where many aluminum casting programs either become stable or get stuck in repeat sample loops. The problem is usually not the phrase "FAI required." The problem is that the RFQ does not define which sample state, which datums, which records, and which buyer approval steps the supplier is quoting.
This checklist is for OEM procurement, SQE, and engineering teams preparing a drawing-ready RFQ for cast aluminum parts, especially housings, pump bodies, valve bodies, gearbox housings, EV motor housings, brackets, and other cast-plus-machined components.
Useful Bohua routes:
- •Quality Documentation RFQ
- •Quality Control
- •CMM inspection RFQ checklist
- •PPAP Level 3 aluminum casting checklist
- •Structured RFQ upload
1) Define what the first article actually covers
In casting projects, a first article can mean different things:
- •raw casting from new tooling
- •heat-treated casting before machining
- •casting plus CNC machining
- •finished part with coating, leak test, cleaning, packaging, or assembly checks
- •transfer-tool sample from an existing mold
- •second-source sample against an already-approved drawing
State the inspection state in the RFQ. If the buyer expects a finished cast-plus-machined part, the supplier should not quote only a raw casting CMM report.
2) Lock the drawing revision and critical-feature map
The FAI package is only useful if it references the right drawing revision. Include:
- •2D PDF drawing revision and release status
- •STEP or IGES model revision
- •marked critical features, if the drawing has many dimensions
- •datum scheme and any unresolved drawing questions
- •whether dimensions are final or still under engineering review
For housings, mark bearing seats, sealing faces, gasket faces, bores, ports, threads, O-ring grooves, and mounting interfaces. These are usually more important than a long list of non-functional dimensions.
3) Decide which inspection records are required before quoting
Do not leave records as "supplier standard." Ask for the specific evidence your team will use for approval:
- •CMM report tied to the drawing datums
- •material certificate or spectrometer record
- •heat-treatment record when T5 or T6 is required
- •hardness or mechanical test record if the drawing requires it
- •leak-test or pressure-test record if the part is pressure-sensitive
- •thread gauge, bore gauge, flatness, runout, or surface-finish records if relevant
- •coating, impregnation, cleaning, or packaging record if those are approval risks
If the buyer needs PPAP elements, state which elements are required. Do not assume full PPAP support unless the RFQ defines the customer-specific scope.
RFQ CTA
Have a casting project? Upload your drawing for a fast, structured quote review.
Send the drawing, target alloy, finishing scope, MOQ, and delivery timing. Bohua will review it like a real sourcing project, not a generic contact request.
4) Separate raw-casting approval from machining approval
Many castings pass raw-casting inspection but fail after machining exposes porosity, moves datums, or reveals fixture problems. The RFQ should say whether FAI includes:
- •raw casting visual and dimensional checks
- •post-heat-treatment dimensional checks
- •final machining CMM report
- •seal-face flatness or surface finish
- •bore alignment, concentricity, or runout
- •leak test after machining
For pump housings, valve bodies, gearbox housings, and EV motor housings, final machining evidence often matters more than raw casting dimensions.
5) Make sample quantity and approval timing visible
The quote should say how many first article samples are included and what happens if the buyer requests a correction loop.
Ask suppliers to disclose:
- •number of first article samples included in the quote
- •whether destructive testing is included or separate
- •whether CMM programming is included or separate
- •whether re-sampling after tooling correction is included or separate
- •expected record format and language
- •whether buyer-specific forms are accepted
Avoid fixed timing promises unless a project-specific quote confirms the scope. FAI effort depends on tooling, machining fixtures, inspection programming, buyer forms, and any retest requirements.
Copy-paste RFQ starter
> First article inspection aluminum casting RFQ (copy-paste)
> Files: 2D PDF rev __ ; STEP rev __
> Part family: pump housing / valve body / gearbox housing / EV motor housing / bracket / other __
> FAI state: raw casting / heat-treated casting / cast plus machined part / finished part __
> Critical features: datums __ ; sealing faces __ ; bores __ ; ports/threads __ ; mounting interfaces __
> Records requested: CMM __ ; material certificate __ ; heat-treatment record __ ; leak or pressure test __ ; surface finish __ ; thread/bore gauge __
> PPAP or customer-specific forms: yes/no __ ; scope __
> Sample quantity: __ ; destructive test samples: yes/no __
> Buyer approval need: internal FAI / customer FAI / PPAP / second-source approval / transfer-tool approval __
> Annual volume and destination: __ ; Incoterm __
Submit the FAI scope before price comparison
Use the quality-documentation route when the buyer needs the quote to include inspection records, approval evidence, and record format instead of only unit price.
Project CTA
Need Quality Documentation With Your RFQ?
Send your drawing for a structured DFM review, quote scope, and project-specific timing discussion.